A sizzling summer weekend in mid-May set the stage for an amazing display of colorful costumes and some great dance moves for the 16th annual Dance Parade. This years’ theme was Take It to the Streets which is just what over 100 dance groups did. Parade organizer Greg Miller has waited three years to take back the streets along the parade route on 22nd and Broadway to 8th St. and into Tompkins Square Park where there was more dancing and lots of fun. This year, the lead dance group paid homage to Ukraine with an energetic dance.
The Dance Parade is a young parade and is quickly becoming a NY favorite. After all, NY is the mecca of dance and where else should a parade honoring one of humanity’s oldest rituals be held…right on Broadway. There was plenty of talent to go around but some of the better groups were of the homegrown variety including the all female drum band Fogo Azul. Their thunderous drum beats let everyone know this is where the party is at. Riding the 6 train from the Bronx was a sizzling young dance group with major swag. The Dancers Dreamzzzz group did an amazing mix of dance styles.
Some newcomers to the event were the Flex Dance Program along with The Tango Factory and Moksha Arts Take New York dance group. One group that thrived even more in the pure 90 degree heat was the soca loving Fit 4 Dance float that was bouncing up and down with all their high energy. Hope to see them at the West Indian Parade. A fun young group was the Boss Kids. They brought some good moves to the party. A nice treat came from the Palestinian dancers. This parade has a wide variety of cultures and dances to display but the ones that bring their A game each and every time are the Bolivians. The crowd favorite has always been the San Simon Caporales with their shiny cowboy/girl costumes and high energy dance moves. Their counterparts, the Tinkus Pachas Dancers, wear different costumes but just as colorful with even more high energy dance moves. Once again kudos to Team Dance Parade and their success. The return of thousands of dancers to the streets of New York is always a welcomed sight.
NYC Parade Life 